Despite Congress renewing extended benefits until the end of the year, benefit checks will be stopped sooner than anticipated.

For the long-term unemployed, roughly more than five million people, their last line of survival will come to an end next month. According to the National Employment Law Project, nearly half a million people will be affected by this early cut off.

Republicans are concerned that the federal extension will hurt employment growth. Democrats on the other hand believe that the unemployed don't have many other options to turn to and that the immediate spending of these checks contributes to stimulus.

For those unemployed to continue receiving benefits, they must now prove that they have been actively looking for work with documents showing contacts of at least three employers per week.

Most states allow 26 weeks of unemployment benefits and the number of additional weeks is then provided by the federal extensions. Ninety-nine weeks became a symbol for the jobless struggle after those who had exhausted their benefits at that point.

The first few months of benefits are covered by taxes on employers, so some states are creating more requirements to make it harder for people to qualify for benefits.

Across the country, people generally apply for benefits by phone. However, in a complaint received by the federal labor secretary, Florida began requiring people to submit online applications as well as a 45-minutes assessment of their job skills.

It's easy for people to get wrapped up in getting upcoming work done that they lose sight of finishing the present ones. Instead of worrying about things that are beyond your control, focus on what directly affects your work right now.Having a grip on the responsibilites you have now can help you manage any additional ones that come along. Even though you want to prove that you can handle your current workload and more, you don't have to be in over your head to impress your superiors.This approach of biting off more than you can chew can instead cause you to look unorganized and unable to balance priorities. Proper prioritizing is important to working efficiently.Sometimes, what needs to be finished first doesn't have to be started first. Then again, when bigger projects are put ahead of the smaller ones due first, things can get pushed back even further when deadlines catch up to you.Here are some suggestions to help you manage your duties without having to sacrifice any:1) Keep Track of Your Assignments.

Whether you prefer to type them into a computer program or write them down with a pen and paper, having a list of your tasks outlined in front of you really helps in getting them done. You can stay on track easier and tackle each task based on priority.2) Start Each Day With This List.This list will help maintain focus on a daily basis. Continue to add projets to it but remember to list them according to importance so for each assignment completed you can move right on to the next one.3) Think Before Saying, "Yes."Making commitments that you aren't initially 100% sure you can follow-through with will only make things more difficult for yourself. It's better to say "no" in the beginning and later be able to help out than be expected to the entire time only to cause disappointment.4) Take Control of Your Time Management.If you tend to just make deadlines every time, improving your time management can greatly help your work productivity. Instead of getting by, you can breeze through work and accomplish them with ease. Often, when you're racing against the clock, your work suffers. Make sure that you're devoting ample time to your work on a daily basis so that you aren't scrambling up to the last minute.

Being taken seriously is an important ingredient for being successful in the workplace. Managers look to these people to be dependable and competent of handling any task.

Usually, those who show confidence in taking on more responsibilities will have better chances of moving up in the company and making bigger bucks.

If you're wondering how to become the big man on top you can't get there by acting like the little guy down below.

This is where the saying, "you gotta fake it 'til you make it" comes in. To get authority, you gotta show it. When you make people believe that you're in command of your duties, and then some, you won't be faking it anymore.

1) OWN UP TO YOUR AUTHORITY.

Each person is charge of something and the key phrase there is "in charge." You are just as much a part of the team as anyone else but it's up to you to prove it.

Show your manager and your coworkers that you've not only earned your place but are up for the challenge of surpassing expectations.

2) HAVE AN ANSWER EVEN WHEN YOU DON'T KNOW IT.

There's nothing that shows incompetence more than when you don't seem to know what's going on. Incompetence will translate to others that you are not a leader thus people will not take you seriously.

Instead, when you're faced with something that you don't have an immediate solution to, say something that gives the impression that you still know how to handle it.

One response example is, "You've brought up some good points, and I'll get back to you once I've thought it over." This lets you get smoothly transition out of the conversation.

3) KEEP A COOL HEAD.

When you lose control of your emotions, you lose control of everything else. Authority and control go hand in glove. People who are unpredictable cannot be relied on. In any situation from bad to catastrophic, you should always have a practical approach.People trust this kind of thinking because it takes a lot to stay calm under pressure.

Along with that, you also need to make sure to not be intimidating to your colleagues, this shows a lack of professionalism because you're demanding respect rather than earning it. Part of be having authority is being approachable.

4) HAVE YOUR PRIORITIES STRAIGHT.

It's difficult to juggle making important decision when concerned with how it will affect your popularity. When you're at work, doing your job needs to be your main focus. Your mind can't be clouded by others' judgments when making business decisions.

In reality, not everyone is going to agree on the same thing. Being serious about your job comes from taking the necessary measures required.

5) MAKE IT CRYSTAL CLEAR.

Authority comes in an entire package and its all comes together in the delivery. Your tone of voice should sound like you know what you're talking about, even if you're not 100% sure of something. If you want people to look to you for answers your responses cannot come out sounding like questions.

6) ENJOY THE SILENCE.

Or at least be confortable with it. People who get nervous by silence can't take the uncertainty and rush to fill it with sound. Be confident that the pause in the conversation is due to the other person waiting for you to say something.

In this case,take advantage of having the upper hand by easing into your response and make what you say add to your appearance of authority. Silence can sometimes work in your favor.

7) ERASE "UM" AND "I THINK" FROM YOUR VOCABULARY.

It's hard to exude authority when you struggle with communicating clearly. This is just another part of the package where your words need to back up your authoritative tone, otherwise you'll lose the entire effect.

The way you say things will get people to listen so you need every word they listen to to count. Get through each word one nice and steady so that you're sentences won't come out jumbled.

8) HANDLE ISSUES HEAD ON.

Shying away from a situation shows a weakness in your ability to take initiative in solving a problem. Things can't fix themselves so if there's an issue that calls for your attention, give it. Putting it off only turns it into a bigger problem.

Figuring out a solution on your own usually doesn't take much more than putting some thought into it. Once you've taken it care of it, people will more than likely take note of, if not be mpressed by, your ability to turn a negative into a positive.

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